Michelle Rowland Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications
2:09 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. Why is the Prime Minister punishing Australians who need care by abolishing the carer visa? What advice does the Prime Minister give to Australians in need of care whose only available carer lives overseas?
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection
I am pleased that those opposite have discovered the immigration program. I am pleased that they decided to raise these matters in the House today. What those opposite do not seem to understand—
Graham Perrett Moreton, Australian Labor Party
It's the butcher, not the block!
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection
You have asked your question; you could give courtesy to the response. You have asked the question; you might learn something.
Mr Dreyfus interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Isaacs has been warned. One more utterance and he will leave.
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection
Under the family program there are a range of visas that have waiting lists that range from four years to 16 years. One of the cruellest things you can do to people in the immigration program—
Chris Bowen McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer
Your solution is to abolish them!
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection
is ask them to make an application when you know there is no possibility that they are going to see their case heard and determined, and a visa possibly granted. So what the government has decided to do is not keep charging people for visa applications, when the waiting list on these visas is so long that we would start to work through the backlog of claims that the previous lot were unable to work through.
Mr Marles interjecting—
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection
That is why the current claims for a number of family visas have been suspended until we can work through the backlog. This will enable us to get through the backlog more quickly and address the applications that are already in the system before we start inviting other applications. We are not going to go out and not be fair dinkum with people. We are not going to tell them, 'Make an application and pay your money and your visa's going to get processed.' So until we can get over the backlog that the ill administration of the previous government was responsible for, we will deal with people in an up-front way.